Sleigh attachment for vehicles.



N0. 627,995. Pented luly 4, |899.

J. E. G. GEISEL.

SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FDH VEHICLES.

(Application led Apr. 4, 1899.) (N0 MdeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet N0. 627,995.Pateted .Iuly 4, |899. J. E. E. GEISEL.

SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

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UNiTED STATES PATENT Trice.

.lOl-IN ERNEST GEORGE GEISEL, OFv WEISSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION :forming part of Letters Patent No. 627,995, dated July 4,1899.

Application tiled April 4, 1899. Serial No. 711,748. (No model.)

To LM whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN ERNEST GEORGE GEIsEL,a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Weissport, in the county of Carbon and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBobSleigh Attachments for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to bob-sleigh attach ments for vehicles and is inthe nature of an improvement upon the construction described andillustrated in Letters Patent No. 621,242, granted to me March 14,'1899.

` One object of the present invention is to provide a better form ofrest for the vehicleaxle Where'it bears upon the bob-sleigh. p

Another object is to provide more convenient means for applying the eyesto the axle.

Another object is to provide more convenient and reliable means forlocking the lever or crank-shaftto the bob-sleigh.

A further object of the invention 'is to provide means whereby theprojecting spindle of the axle may be gotten rid of and protected whilethe bob-sleigh attachments are applied to a vehicle and also to providemeans for thrusting the spindle into operative position when required inuse.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the courseof the'subjoined description.

The invention consists in a Abob-sleigh attachment for vehiclesembodying certain novel features and details of construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in thedrawings, and incorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of thebob-sleigh, also illustrating in full and dotted lines the manner ofapplying the same to a vehicle-axle. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective viewof the upper portion of the bob-sleigh, showing the rock-shaft, theoperating lever or crank therefor, and the means for locking said leveror crank. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan View of the lever or cranklocking device.. Figa is a crosssection through a hollow vehicle-axle,showing the manner of applying the spring seat and clip thereto. Figs. 5and 6 are detail pere spective views of the parts of the clip and seatshown in Fig. et. Fig. 7 is adetail view of one of the hooks applied tothe rock-shaft. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through the hollowaxle, showing a double-ended reversi-- ble spindle and the spring forthrusting the spindle outward, also showing the means for locking thespindle in place. 9 is a s imi lar View showing the spindle entirelyinclosed and concealed within the axle. Fig. 10 is a detail perspectiveView of the clip which cara ries the eye. Fig. 11 is a side elevation ofanother form of adjustable spindle. Fig. 12 is a detail longitudinalsection through the end of the hollow axle, showing a plain `cap iittedthereon. Fig. 13 is a similar view taken through the axle having aWooden cap-piece. Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of the cap shownin Fig. 13.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bob-sleigh consisting of apair of runners 2, raves or braces 3, and upper horizontal or top bars4, connected by means of the cross-beam 5, on the opposite ends ot'which are mounted supports or rests 6, extending. transversely of thebeam 5 and adapted to receive and support the vehicle-axle, as Vshown inFig. 1, the upper edges of said supports being reinforced by metalwear-plates `7, secured thereto by suitable fasteners 8.Extendingthrough the rests or supports 6 is a rock-shaft 9, which maybe, either round, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or square, as in Fig. 7.Bearing-sleeves l() pass through the supports 6, in which the rock-shaft9 is journaledfv The shaft is provided at two points with hooks 11,secured at the proper places on ,the shaft by means of setscrews 12. Oneend of the shaft 9 is square, as shown at 13, to receive the operatingcrank or lever 14:.l The lever 14 is providednear its upper end with arectangularly-projecting arm 15, which is designed to pass through aneye or ,loop 16 in the end of the bar 4:, and is provided with a recess17, comprising spaced shoulders 18, between which is received a stoutfiat spring 19, one end of which is secured, by suitable fasteners 20,to the bar 4,*as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

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After the rock-shaft has been turned the arm 15 is thrust through theeye 16 and the sprin g 19 automatically snaps into engagement with thenotch 17, thus locking the crank or lever 14 in position and preventingit from becoming accidentally displaced and lost.

Connected to the axle at proper intervals are clips 2l, made in twoparts, the lower part 22 tting beneath the axle and the upper part 23above the axle, the part 23 forming a rest on which the ellipticalsprings of the vehicle bear. The half-round recesses 24 in which theaxle is received are preferably serrated to secure a rmer engagementbetween the clip and axle, and the lower part 22 is also provided withan upwardly-projecting stud 25,which` enters a hole in the axle, therebypreventing any possibility of the clip turning on theaxle. The lowerpart 22 is provided with ears 26 for the passage of the terminalsofsuitable bolts for connecting the two parts of the clip. It is alsoprovided with an inward extension 27, having on its bottom a dependingeye or loop 28, designed to be engaged by the hooks 11 on the rock-shaft9 for connecting the bob-sleigh to the axle in the manner explained inmy former patent hereinabove referred to. The part 27 is also providedwith oppositely-located ears 29, designed to receive a clip or U-shapedbolt passing over the axle. The clips orbolts 30 clamp thevehicle-springs upon the part If desired, the bolts 30 may be simplystraight bolts, as shown in Fig. 4, passing through the ears 26 at theirlower ends and at their upper andV either end thereof used. The spindle32 isadapted to slide longitudinally within the shaft31 and is normallypressed or urged outward by means of a coil-spring 34, arranged withinthe` central portion of the axle and provided at its opposite ends withbuttons 35, which bear directly against both spindles at opposite endsof the hollow axle. The spindle is also provided at suitable intervalswith recesses or sockets 36 for receiving the ends of Set-screws 37, asshown in Figs. 8 and 9, whereby the Spindle is held in its adjustedposition either for vuse as an ordinary vehicleaxle or when thrustinward for enabling the vehicle to be used upon bob-sleighs, thus doingaway with any projections beyond the ends ofthe hollow axlesof thevehicle. In this manner the spindles are prevented from injuring personsor property near by and are at the same time protected and preventedfrom` being injured or broken in case of the sleigh overturning orstriking against a fence or other obstruction. The sockets 36 are solocated with relation` to the spindle 32 that when the` spindle isthrust outward for use both screws 37 may be used to secure the spindlerigidly in place. When the spindle is thrust inward,the inner screw 37engages with the recess or socket 36 nearest the outer end of thespindle, as shown in Fig. 9.

Each end of the axle is exteriorly threaded to receive a cap or nut 3S,andV this cap or nut has applied to its outer face a washer 39, beingheld constantly in place by means of screws or other fasteners 40 toprevent wear on the nut or cap. When the washer becomes worn, it may bedetached from the nut or cap and substituted by a new one, thusobviating the necessity for providing a new cap or nut. On the outer endof the spindle is a nut 4l, which is provided upon its inner face with awasher 42, secured by means of screws or fasteners43. When the spindleis thrust inward into the axle, as shown in Fig. 9, the nut 41 isreversed, the outer reduced end 44 thereof fitting within the bore ofthe axle, as shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 10 I have shown aislight modification in the form of the clipwhich carries the eye or loop for receiving the hooks on the rockshaftwhere clips are needed on axles in connection with. which ellipticalsprings are not employed. In Fig. 11 I have shown a spindle 45, only oneend of which is tapered, but which is adapted t0 slide inward within theaxle similar to that 32 hereinabove described. If desired, the spindle'may be entirely removed from the axle and a plain cap or nut 46 placedthereon, as shown in Fig. 12. Where the axle is provided with a woodencap-piece 47, the

nut or cap is provided with a corresponding enlargement 48 at one side,as shown in Figs.' 13 and- 14, said enlargement being adapted to bebrought into alinement with the cappiece 47.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have made a numberof improvements upon my former pate-'nt referred to which will not onlyfacilitate the application of the bob-sleighs to a vehicle and theremoval of the same therefrom, but which will also enable the axles tobe more readily equipped or provided with the eyes 28` and also do awaywith the projecting ends of the spindles after the sleighs have beenremoved therefrom. The application of the bob-sleigh. to the ve=hicle-axle is exactly the same asdescribed in my former patent, theinitial step in the operation of applying the bObsleigh being shown infull lines in Fig. 1 and the final position-of the parts beingillustrated in dotted linesin the same figure.

It will of course be understood that the features of constructionhereinabove described are susceptible of changes in the form,proportion, and minor details, which may accordingly be resorted towithout departing from the principle or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by LettersPatent, is

1. A bob-sleigh attachment for vehicles,

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having a rock-shaft with axle-engaging means thereon, in combinationwith an operating-lever detachably connected to said rock-shaft andhaving a laterally-extending arm, and a spring-lock for engaging saidarm.

2. Abob-sleigh comprising a rock-shaft and axle-engaging means, incombination with an operating-lever detachably connected thereto andhaving a laterally-extending arm provided with a notch, and a springadapted to snap into engagement with said notch for the purposespecified.

3. A bob-sleigh comprising a rock-shaft equipped with axle-engagingmeans, in combination with an operating-lever detachably connectedthereto and having a laterally-extending arm, spaced shoulders on saidarm, and a spring connected to the bob-sleigh and adapted to snap intoengagement with said arm and lie between the shoulders thereon,substantially as described.

4. A bob-sleigh having a rock-shaft with axle-engaging means, incombination with an' operating-lever detachably connected thereto, alaterally-extending arm near the other end of said lever, an eye on theframe o f the sleigh through which said arm passes, and a spring-lockconnected to the frame of the sleigh and adapted to snap into engagementwith said arm, substantially as described. y

5. The combination with-a bob-sleigh having a rock-shaft provided withaxle-engaging means, and means for operating said rockshaft, of asectional or divided clip adapted to berrem'ovably fitted upon thevehicle-axlev at an intermediate point and provided with adepending eye,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination with a hollow axle, of a spindle tted toslidetherein, and a spring within the axle behind the spindle fornormally urging the spindle outward into operative position,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a hollow axle, of a spindle slidingly fitted inthe end thereof, means for normally urging the spindle outward, so as toproject beyond the axle, and a set-screw for holding the spindle withinthe axle, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a hollow axle made tubular in form from end toend, of a doubleended spindle adjustable within the axle and having bothends made tapering, and a setscrew penetrating the axle and engaging thespindle for holding it at the desired adjustment.

JOHN ERNEST GEORGE v GEISEL.

' Witnesses:

J. H. L'ONGACRE, WM. H. SELTZER.

9. The combination withA a` hollow axle,of

